Sean Manaea caught attention for more than his new-look haircut on Saturday afternoon for the New York Mets. He took the mound and tossed four scoreless innings against the St. Louis Cardinals in his second Spring Training start.
SNY’s Colin Martin laid out how he finished his strong day:
“Manaea struck out two more Cardinals in the fourth en route to another 1-2-3 inning. He finished the day after 61 pitches over four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits with three walks and five strikeouts,” Martin said.
Mets: Sean Manaea boasted increased velocity in dominant Spring Training outing
Manaea topped out at a 95.3 mph fastball and a 93.5 mph four-seamer. He also generated a swing and a miss on nine occasions.
The 32-year-old veteran pitcher credited his big performances to no more hair being in his eyes. He is one week removed from coughing up three runs and allowing seven hits across 2.2 innings pitched against the Miami Marlins in his Spring Training debut.
Manaea will begin the season with added pressure after Kodai Senga’s injury
Manaea will have heavy expectations in 2024. With Kodai Senga set to miss the beginning of the year with a shoulder injury, Manaea will bear the burden of the second or third slot that he’ll vie with Luis Severino for in the rotation.
His performance on Saturday continued to show improvement in his velocity and command. The Mets will need that to get off on the right foot. Manaea will make his first appearance of the 2024 MLB season in New York’s three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers to open things up.